Lending Library

CHIP has a large lending library which includes some DVD’s and videos as well as books. We loan items for month-long periods, free of charge, throughout the Highlands. Up to three items may be borrowed at one time. You can collect these in person from our offices, or they can be sent out by mail.

If you are making a special journey to collect items please phone or e-mail before your visit to ensure we have your choice available. These items can then be held for you. Items can be returned either by mail or in person. If you would like the cost of postage to be refunded please include a note to this effect with the library item.

Recent Book Reviews

"The Out of Synch Child" by Carol Stock Cranowitz

- reviewed by a parent

What’s so fascinating about fans? How can his hearing be that good? Why does he fall over all the time? What causes him to flap his hands and spin? These are some of the questions we asked when our son was diagnosed with Autism. We already knew that Jake, like all people with ASD, had difficulties related to the Triad of Impairments – problems with social and emotional interactions; language and communication, and flexibility of thought, but what we hadn’t expected were the related physical and sensory difficulties. His poor motor coordination and sense of balance made it hard for him to do what other children his age or younger, could do. He knew all his numbers and letters, but couldn’t grip a pen well enough to write. He couldn’t concentrate or even respond to us in large buildings, and couldn’t seem to tell the difference between emotions like excitement, sadness and fear. These were the things that used to keep us up at night puzzling! But then we got hold of a copy of ‘The Out of Sync Child’ by Carol Stock-Kranowitz from the CHIP + library. This great book explains many of the mysteries of life with an Autistic child. It has just the right balance of science and stories to inform, but also empower parents by helping them to recognise and address sensory processing problems in their child. Yes, as with all books about Autism, there are some sad bits, but these are outweighed by the positive – there is a lot that you can do to help your child and this book gives practical and fun ways that you can start doing this immediately. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t manage to return this book to CHIP + on time, but our whole family has read it cover to cover and we are already beginning to see the results with our son!

Helping Children to Improve their Communication Skills by Deborah M. Plummer

- reviewed by Elkie Klammer, a professional

In the first half of the book we find some interesting games which can enrich Social

Groups for children at school or other settings. Of course, not every game is appropriate for every group or child and it is up to the discretion of the group leader/teacher to choose and adapt.

The second half of the book consists of individual lessons and photocopy- able worksheets to teach general social skills for Western culture. This part I am not happy about, as it does not take into account the underlying reasons for Autistic behaviours. For example, the avoidance of eye-contact serves to reduce visual distraction in order to concentrate on the conversation. The lack of two-way communication and turn-taking often arises from the person’s inability to distinguish between the self and the other. Also, being asked to imagine meeting an alien or an animal with human language might seem meaningless or impossible for Autistic children.

In my opinion, in order to develop communication skills in Autistic children, we first need to establish what is really important (i.e. you wouldn’t ask blind people to make eye-contact!) and then look at the underlying reasons for a lack of certain skills. Every teacher and parent knows that in order to grasp new concepts, children need to have reached a certain developmental stage. Furthering Autistic children’s social communication skills needs to be equally based on their underlying emotional and conceptual development in order to be embedded in their being and not simply put on as an act.

The next Pines drop-in is on Thursday, 1st November from 10am until 12.30pm. The subject is Information Session “Supporting Pre-verbal Communication” with Shona MacPherson (Speech & Language Therapy).
Parents/Carers no need to book! Professionals please book by em... Full Story...

The Social Security (Scotland) Act requires the Scottish Government to make advocacy support available to people with a disability who need help with the Scottish social security system.They must also set out independent standards for services providing this social security advocacy suppo... Full Story...

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